Maher Hannoun, Sheikh Jarrah,Jerusalem

A letter to the Israeli People

I am appealing to you as an Israeli citizen: When your government denied my family our rights in the past, many ordinary Israelis did not look away. Instead, they stood with us. They showed us that Israelis are able to look past our differences and stand up for what is right.

I call on the Israeli people once again to help.

Early on Sunday August 2nd, more than 200 armed police smashed our windows, barged into our house and threw us out. They said we were living in the house illegally because Jews owned the land upon which our homes were built- over a hundred years ago.  But, immediately after we were forced out, extremist settlers took over and occupied our home. They are still there now.

My wife, children and I have spent the past seven days and nights in the streets, and there is no end for us in sight. Overnight, we were made homeless. I hope you can help us seek the justice denied to us.

Israel calls itself a democracy. If so, the government is answerable to you, the Israeli people.

My family's situation is not an isolated case. Stories like ours are being played out all the time in Jerusalem and will continue. It is being perpetuated by the government of Israel in your name, in the name of the Israeli people, against UN resolutions and international law.

Please, stand with us again in our time of need, and help my family and I and those like us, to get our homes back.

We need your support. With each new day spent in the streets, our time is running out. Please stop the Israeli governmment from abusing us in Sheikh Jarrah in your name.

Maher Hannoun,

Sheikh Jarrah,Jerusalem

For more information, please call +972 (0)505 277896 or 054-4403753 www.standupforjerusalem.org

If evicting ordinary people and taking over their homes on the basis of race is NOT what you voted for the government that represents you to do, demand that they stop.

Please pass this message along, and come visit us in Sheikh Jarrah to hear our story.

YOU ARE INVITED!

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August 2009